SCIENTIFIC WASTES, Instruments and Materials (SWIM) Park, the only park in India, perhaps, in world developed out of scientific wastes is in a shambles at Gheru campus of Industrial Toxicology Research Centre (ITRC) for a lack of maintenance. The park lost in the weeds and wild plants, thus dashing the hopes of developing it into ‘knowledge tourism.’
The park was known all over the country for an innovative work undertaken during the former Director of the ITRC Prof YK Gupta of converting scientific scrap into models for the benefit of the young scientists.
The concept behind developing the park was to use scientific junk from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) laboratories to preserve age-old scientific tradition. Moreover, the scrap would have fetched the institute a pittance, therefore it was decided to develop models from the waste and also encourage the budding scientists from schools and colleges prepare scientific models.
But ever since the transfer of Prof YK Gupta, there has not been a single visit by any schools. Also, the Papita Park developed just beside the main SWIM Park, has been covered over by dense weed. The concept behind the small park was to prove that everything was possible, provided one had a will power. The park was named after a chowkidaar, who was skeptical about the success of the concept and always had a negative feeling about any creative work.
Some of the models that are highlight of the park are; rodent made from metal sheets that earlier served as waste trays for mice or robot made of sterilizer and an old histokinetic tissue processor, while metal racks from the laboratories have been used to develop a colourful DNA strand at the centre of the park. Windmills have been created from stand instruments and clamps.
{{/usCountry}}Some of the models that are highlight of the park are; rodent made from metal sheets that earlier served as waste trays for mice or robot made of sterilizer and an old histokinetic tissue processor, while metal racks from the laboratories have been used to develop a colourful DNA strand at the centre of the park. Windmills have been created from stand instruments and clamps.
{{/usCountry}}The entrance, which ones greeted with lantern bearer made of geysers; muffler and old discarded lamps sheds are crumbling. A few of the models are in a very bad shape owing to lack of maintenance. The pathetic condition of the park could gauged from the fact that the scientists and employees of the park did not allow journos to click picture owing to fear of getting exposed.
The Director General Dr R A Mashelkar had himself inaugurated the park on August 30, 2004. On the occasion Dr Mashelkar had assured all possible help, including financial, to covert the Park into ‘knowledge tourism.’
Owing to its isolated location, the Gheru campus is popular among the ITRC scientists as “Kala Pani.” Senior scientists on the occasion had vowed to remove the stigma of identifying the place with one of the deadliest places on earth, but it seems that there is no effort in this direction.